Gang aft agley
by beMMADfabulous
Summary: Snape and Hooch have devised a plan to get Albus and Minerva together, but will it work, or will the two schemers simply get killed in the process? hehe. ADMM.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: The title of this story is from a line from the poem "To a Mouse" by Scottish poet Robert Burns: "The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley," usually translated "... go oft awry" or "... often go awry."**

**Gang aft agley**

Minerva McGonagall, her back pressed against the cold stone wall and her head tilted just enough so that she could better hear the muffled conversation around the corner, was usually the last person anyone would expect to be in her current position, but this, by all means, appeared to be no normal situation. It wasn't everyday that Severus Snape and Rolanda Hooch had a hushed conversation in a shadowy corner of an abandoned corridor, and Minerva was determined to discover what this was all about.

"Do you think it will work?" Rolanda asked, her voice slightly unsteady with effort to control her obvious excitement.

"Oh, I have no doubt," Severus replied.

"Well, it's about time, anyway. Those two have skirted around each other for years."

"Don't you fear the potential... repercussions?"

"I'm not afraid of the Headmaster," she replied confidently.

"Yes, but I have a feeling he isn't the one we should be concerned about."

"Minerva..." she spoke, her bravery noticeably dwindling.

Minerva's eyes widened as she slowly began to piece together the meaning of their conversation. She strained her hears, anxious to hear what they planned to do. She was torn between staying still and showing herself to break up whatever devious scheme they were plotting against her.

"It's for her own good..." Rolanda went on, sounding as if trying to convince herself more than anything. When Severus failed to respond, she knew the outcome: "We're dead."

"She would try to stop us if she knew," Severus said, a smirk evident in his tone.

"Yes, but she can't now, can she?" Rolanda replied with renewed excitement and defiance rising in her voice. "I wonder how she will react when she finds out that it's too late to stop us... that the Headmaster has already drank his tea... that we laced with _love potion_."

**To be continued...**

**A/N: Yes, the next chapter will be longer: promise!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Minerva stormed her way to Albus's office, her eyes flashing like wild lightening and her robes billowing behind her like a cloud of tartan. Her fingernails bit into the flesh of her palms as she clenched her fists together in fury. Although she knew that Severus and Rolanda were solely to blame, she somehow could not help but feel a strange surge of anger towards Albus as well.

She pounded loudly on his door, panting from the combination of sudden physical and emotional exertion.

"Come in," he called to her.

Minerva threw open the door and swept into the room, not caring to hide her obvious frustration.

"Ah, my dear, please have a seat."

"I don't have time to sit down," she snapped, his term of endearment having spurned her on.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, placing his pen down onto the desk and rising to his feet.

"No, everything is just _perfect_," she hissed.

Albus, now looking quite concerned, moved from behind his desk and began walking towards her. Intent on keeping as much distance between them as possible, Minerva moved backwards and nearly collapsed against the door.

"Minerva, please... Tell me what's wrong."

She shrank back and turned her head away, fearful that she might lose herself in his touch as he gently squeezed her shoulders. The poor man didn't even realize why he was acting this way, she noted, beginning to feel somewhat sorry for him.

"My dear, please talk to me about it."

Her mind raced as he lifted her chin so that she would look him in the eyes.

"I can't. You shouldn't – ALBUS, WHY ARE YOUR EYES TWINKLING LIKE THAT?"

He chuckled as he released his grip on her shoulders.

"Perhaps because I am looking at a very beautiful witch," he said, his voice deep and silky smooth.

He leaned into her and trailed the back of his index finger down her flushed cheek.

"No, don't..." she pleaded, feeling so wrong for pushing him away yet not wanting him to regret anything between them when the potion wore off. "I have to go."

Without any explanation, and now with the threat of tears stinging at her eyes, Minerva denied every voice and urge telling her to give into him... and she ran.

**To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"I'll kill them both," Minerva muttered, pacing her bedroom floor like a woman gone mad.

She nearly stumbled to the floor when a sudden knocking startled her from her frenzied thoughts. Despite thinking it was probably against her better judgement, she opened the door.

"_You_."

"Yes, only me," Albus admitted sadly. "I'm sorry for the disappointment."

"That's not what I meant..." she replied, her heart breaking at the thought of hurting him.

"Never mind that," he said, though still looking downcast. "I came to apologize for however I offended you earlier."

"You didn't offend me," she said weakly, taking a step back to match his forward one.

"Then why did you run?" he asked, moving towards her again.

"I –"

She stepped backwards until she ran into the foot of her bed and collapsed down onto it. Albus still continued towards her as he spoke.

"I suppose I let my emotions get in the way," he explained. "Sometimes, I admit, I fancy that you... that you could feel for me in return."

An invisible hand seemed to be tightening around Minerva's throat. Her breathing grew shallow and unsteady and she drew dangerously close to her.

"But you couldn't possibly..."

"No," she exclaimed. "I mean, I do, but –"

Albus sank down innocently beside her, acting as if sitting merely inches away from her on her bed was nothing unusual.

"Please, spare my heart," he replied solemnly. "I can live with never knowing for certain, but the rejection... I cannot bear it."

"_Albus_."

And before she understood why she had, Minerva reached out and took his hand. He squeezed it lightly in return but would not meet her eyes.

"You must understand," she whispered, massaging a circular pattern onto the back of his hand with her thumb.

"Don't say it," he pleaded.

"Don't say what?"

"I don't want to hear you say that you don't love me."

Minerva swallowed hard.

"Albus, I can't tell you that..."

He lifted his head slowly, and his eyes searched her face for an answer. Some invisible force seemed to be drawing her into him as he leaned closer, closer... She felt dizzy, her senses blurring as he brushed his lips lightly against her quavering jawline. Suddenly she leapt to her feet, as if scalded by boiling water.

"I – We can't do this."

The twinkle in Albus's eyes diminished somewhat as confusion lined his face.

"You don't love me," she insisted, the words leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. "You _can't_ love me."

Again she felt the familiar sting of tears prickling at her eyes.

"What do you mean?" he asked, clearly perplexed. "I do love you.

Her heart rose momentarily then sank into her stomach as she heard the words she had always wanted to hear... but now they couldn't be more wrong. She shook her head vigorously, as if also desperately trying to rid herself of any hope she had left for his affections.

"It isn't love," she explained. "It's a spell... A love potion."

**To be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"A love potion?" he repeated, eyebrows furrowing in deepened confusion.

She sighed, her breathing still uneven, and nodded slowly, unsure of how he would react.

"Severus and Rolanda," she explained, feeling a renewed sense of anger, "they thought it would _help... _Though how, I do not know," she added bitterly.

"I don't understand."

"They gave you tea to drink, and it had love potion in it."

Albus frowned as he shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

"Minerva, I haven't drank any tea today."

She shook her head in a feeble attempt to clear her foggy mind.

"They must have told you the tea was from me, if you chose me to fall in love with," she rambled on, beginning to pace back and forth once more as she wrung her trembling hands together to relieve built-up tension.

"Have a seat, my dear. You're making me nervous, and you're going to wear a hole in your nice rug."

She gritted her teeth together as his continued use of the words "my dear" stung her. She paused only momentarily from her pacing before continuing to march back and forth, this time even faster and more frantically than before.

"I assure you, I haven't drank any tea, not today or any time recently," he reiterated calmly.

"But you must have," she exclaimed, stopping in her tracks before she turned back to him once more. "I heard them discussing it, and you're very clearly under the effects of a love potion. How else could you... would you..."

Albus smiled softly as he rose from the bed.

"If I am under a love spell," he told her earnestly, "then I have been for at least fifty years now."

"Then you – they –"

"Perhaps you misunderstood what you heard from them," he suggested.

He began walking towards her, but this time she did make an effort to move away.

"No, I heard them quite perfectly," she insisted as dangerous flashes of lightening returned to her eyes.

She broke into nearly a run as she headed for the door.

"I'll be back," she said, answering the question written on his face and making it clear that she was not escaping from him again. "But in the meantime, you might want to look into finding Hogwarts a new Flying Instructor and Potions Master."

**To be continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Any last requests?" Minerva hissed into Rolanda Hooch's ear.

Rolanda gasped and choked on the breath as if a knife was as good as already placed to her throat. She, her eyes large and glossy with fear, whirled around to face Minerva. Rolanda had known that the time would come when she would confront her, and she hadn't even tried to fool herself into believing that Minerva would be the least bit relenting.

"Before you do anything rash, Minerva, please let me explain," she begged, backing herself into a corner of the wall.

"How _could _you?" she snapped, her Scottish brogue thick with uncontrolled emotion. "You can't begin to imagine the trouble and embarrassment you've caused me!"

"That wasn't my intention!" Rolanda exclaimed, holding her hands up between them as if this could keep Minerva away.

"Ah, then pray tell what _was_ your intention, Rolanda?"

Her voice was loud and crackling with fury.

"I only wanted to help!" she insisted, wincing as Minerva took another threatening step toward her.

"How did you possibly think that leading me to believe that you tricked Albus into drinking a love potion would _help_? A _slug_ has more sense than that!"

"Well... Well, it worked didn't it?" she offered, though she regretted her words as soon as they had slipped from her tongue.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT WORKED?" she shouted, infuriated that Rolanda could suggest such a thing. It was a wonder that Albus would even speak to Minerva at all after the irrational way she had acted towards him.

Rolanda shrugged slightly and gave a small, trembling smile.

"He admitted it, didn't he? That he loves you?"

Minerva's jaw slackened, and Rolanda knew she had won.

"I'm trying to give you the chance you deserve," she explained. "_Take it_. Now you know how he really feels, so don't let him get away."

Minerva opened her mouth but closed it again without a word.

"Why did you make me think it was a love potion?" she asked, her voice now quiet and worn from shouting.

Rolanda grinned, her courage having returned now that she was more certain she would not be murdered.

"How else could I make you really see how much he loves you? I knew that if you _expected_ him to act amorous towards you, you would be able to more objectively see the signs."

Minerva nodded slowly.

"I have to go explain this to Albus," she said with a sigh.

"He'll understand," Rolanda assured her.

"I should hope so... or you're dead."

Rolanda laughed, obviously unconcerned.

"One more thing..." Minerva said, her eyes narrowing curiously at Rolanda. "How did you convince Severus to go along with this?"

Rolanda blushed slightly.

"Oh, well... I have my ways."

Minerva laughed softly as she turned to head back to her room, where Albus was still waiting for her.

"I'll bet you do..."

**To be continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Minerva's fingers trembled as they reached hesitantly for the doorknob. It shouldn't be this difficult! Still, a strange flurry of thrill mingling with fear and perhaps a tinge of sadness whirled within her. She drew in a shaky breath as she slowly turned the knob and stepped inside the room.

As she entered, Albus rose, looking as if suddenly finding it inappropriate to be sitting on her bed.

"It's all right, you can sit there," she said quietly, keeping her eyes averted from his face.

He sank back down as she settled apprehensively in her favorite chair by the corner. Despite the desire to pull him near, the need to keep him at a comfortable distance was strong, as she felt she was now exposing her raw emotions to him. She didn't like feeling so uncontrollably vulnerable, even though she had forever trusted Albus with everything.

"Should I go ahead and hire new professors to take Severus and Rolanda's place?" Albus asked solemnly, though the tiny twinkle in his eyes betrayed the seriousness in his countenance.

Minerva could not help but laugh. She cherished the way Albus could always find a way to make her smile, even when she felt so unstable and insecure.

"No, I let them live... for now," she replied with a smirk.

"You are quite merciful," he commented with a grin.

She felt the warmth of his smile piercing through her, making her weak, and she struggled to keep a straight face. She swallowed hard and stared down at her feet, unsure of how to approach him now. She had always imagined that if he loved her as she loved him, then everything would be complete, everything would be okay... So where was that comfort now? Why was it difficult to face him after they had both shared their feelings? Granted, in all her fantasies, Minerva had never imagined anything like _this_ would occasion the confession...

"I apologize for the way I acted towards you earlier," she said, noting that her voice sounded stony and flat. "When I thought you were under the effects of a love potion, I didn't want you to regret anything between us when the spell wore off."

"There is no need for an explanation," he assured her. "It is I who should apologize. I should never have pushed you. I didn't realize –"

Minerva shook her head.

"Don't," she replied simply, feeling her throat constrict once more.

"If you're worried that I'm expecting things to change between us," Albus said in a low voice, "don't be."

For what seemed to be the hundredth time that day, Minerva's heart sank. How could she have thought that this would make a difference? Of course, he was the Headmaster, the great and powerful Albus Dumbledore, and she was his Deputy; that was all she could ever be.

"What do you mean?" she asked in what she hoped sounded like nonchalance.

Albus suddenly looked very uncomfortable as he focused his gaze down onto his folded hands.

"When I said I loved you?" she went on, not sure as to why she was pressing the subject that would clearly only bring her more heartbreak.

He nodded, still not looking at her.

"I know you didn't mean it... that you were just trying to protect me..." His voice was heavy as it drifted away. "I won't hold it against you," he said, attempting a light-hearted smile.

Minerva narrowed her eyes in slight confusion.

"Albus... I couldn't tell you I loved you if I didn't."

He seemed to be considering this as he slowly lifted his eyes to her. She suddenly became aware of how rapidly her heart was pounding in her chest as her lungs forced the air in and out.

"I do love you," she said, echoing his words from before.

The cloud of doubt appeared to be slowly dissipating from his eyes; Minerva was not certain of how long she could go on without seeing the twinkle in them.

"Are you certain _you_ were not the one who drank the love potion?" he asked incredulously but with a smile forming at his lips.

"Perhaps I did," she mused playfully, "but if so, this is the longest I've ever known anyone to be under a spell..."

**The End?**

**A/N: I'm still debating as to whether or not I want to end it there or give it just one more small chapter...**


End file.
